I'm the type of person who reads before falling asleep and I usually keep three or four books and the last three issues of the New Yorker ( still the best magazine ever published) on my nightstand. As of late, I've been drifting off to slumberville after reading Eckhart Tolle's latest tome - "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose".
Tolle is the author of "The Power of Now" which I raved about in this blog when I read it. I may have actually read that book 3 times and will again I'm sure. I'm only about half way through this latest work. Frankly, my jury is still out over this one. That doesn't mean that this isn't a worthwhile read by any means - it's just that I want to finish it before I make any comment on the contents.
Sadly, I discovered today that two singers of two great 1970's songs died today. I enjoy both of these tunes very much and have sang them loudly and unapologetically while painting or cleaning or driving somewhere countless times. The first, and my favorite of the two, is Al Wilson, performer of the fantastically sultry song "Show and Tell".
Man, I can't state enough how much I love this sexy song. His voice is spot on for the tune and the way he slowly builds the momentum with it just throws me. He starts the song almost as if he is in a conversation with his partner, matter-of-a-factly making simple and truthful, yet very symbolic, statements about himself and his love for her such as "these are the eyes that never knew how to smile until you came into my life" and "these are the arms that long to lock you inside every day and every night". Mmmm
As you can hear in the great SoulTrain video above, it just grows more impassioned and heated until by the end of the song he is practically screaming ( in a melodic and controlled sort of way) about his love and desire. This is still one of my favorite sexy songs of all time and a blast to sing.
The other entertainer who died today was Paul Davis, best known for his song "I Go Crazy".
Wow. How may times did I sing this song when a teen? I think I just cranked this up on the irreplaceable XM satellite radio 70's station in the car belting it out during my last drive to the beach. Though Paul looked like he may have fallen from the back of a fast moving, cannabis smoke filled, customized van he had a melodic, emotive and gently sweet sounding voice . "I Go Crazy" really showed that off to perfection.
The lyrics of 'I Go Crazy", about a man who realizes that he never got over being in love with a woman from his past whom he has run into somewhere, are still a bit heartbreaking. Particularly, because he sounds almost as if he is on the verge of tears from longing and frustration through most of the tune. Not unlike "Show and Tell", he starts off as a man in control, an illusion which is quickly uncovered by the end of the song.
Alas, perhaps these two men, who were both in their 60's, can create some awesome afterlife duet somewhere one day.
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